W. Griffin: Deadly Assets

“No interruptions, please,” Fuller said to the secretary as he closed the office door behind him.

He turned and looked at Carlucci.

“Jerry, I have two words for you.”

Carlucci was on his feet and coming out from behind his desk with his right hand outstretched.

“Frank, to what do I owe the pleasure of this surprise?”

“Hold the bullshit,” Fuller said, sticking his hand up, palm out. “I’ve got a busy day.”

Fuller then gestured with the same hand for Carlucci to take his seat. Fuller settled onto the couch.

“This is my office, Frank,” Carlucci said, coldly furious.

“Please,” Fuller replied evenly, and gestured again.

Carlucci made an angry face, then found his chair while impatiently gesturing back Let’s have it with his hand. “Okay. Two words.”

“Detroit and reelection.”

Carlucci cocked his head. “What the hell does that mean? I don’t know much, nor give a good goddamn, about Detroit politics.”

“Well, as Benjamin Franklin said. .” He paused. “I’m sure you recall that I am a descendant of the wise patriot. He said, ‘When the well’s dry, we know the worth of the water.’ And we all would be wise to learn from Detroit’s dry well.”

“I’m not sure I follow you, Frank. Not sure I want to.”

Fuller nodded, then explained, “Being a product of this great city, it pains me that Philadelphia has such genuinely grave problems. There is the very real chance that it is on that proverbial slippery slope to becoming the next Detroit.”

Carlucci grunted. “You mean bankrupt? That’s not going to happen.”

“That’s what I would expect a politician, particularly one in your position, to say. That’s what they all said about Detroit. No one believed, or certainly wanted to believe, that that city would go broke. After all, it was home to the giants of the automobile manufacturers, including General Motors Corporation. Remember what they said about that powerful global corporation? ‘As goes GM, so goes the nation.’ And then what? Boom to bust, that’s what. It went bankrupt. And then the city went bankrupt.”

Carlucci grunted again. “We’re not Detroit. We have thriving universities and leading hospitals and more.”

“Again, spoken like a politician, but as great as our ‘Eds and Meds’ are-and they are indeed first class-they cannot sustain the entire city. Philadelphia, as you know, in addition to being the birthplace of this great nation, was known as the Workshop of the World. We made everything for everyone, locomotives to warships, textiles to firearms. Today, that’s all gone, leaving vast lots and deserted crumbling buildings in once-thriving neighborhoods like Kensington and Frankford and empty docks at the Navy Yard.”

He let that sink in, then went on, his voice rising: “Our city-third poorest in the country-has a great many challenges that can no longer be ignored, Jerry. We cannot afford to go bankrupt. I will not let it. I have too much invested in this city, both emotionally and certainly financially. It is our moral obligation to leave, as our ancestors did, the city better than we found it. Which brings me to reelection.”

“The primaries are more than a year out-”

“I am well aware of that,” Fuller interrupted. “Allow me, please, to finish. I’m also aware that there already are plenty of people planning on gunning for you, if you will forgive my choice of words. And they have ample ammunition. Crime being of course a significant issue with our citizens. I would suggest it is the main issue. The murder rate would be worse were it not for our excellent hospitals-specifically trauma surgeons performing miracles. It’s a war zone out there, Jerry! And I speak from personal experience”-he suddenly dropped his head forward to rub his eyes, and then cleared his throat, and almost in a mumble added-“as you know.”

Carlucci felt his own throat catch.

I cannot imagine what emotional hell he must’ve gone through-clearly is still going through-losing his wife and child that way.

No amount of wealth can replace that.

“Frank, you know you have my sincere-”

Fuller again held up his hand, palm out. After a moment, he raised his head and looked again at Carlucci.

“You’ll please excuse me for that,” he said, then went on: “Another significant issue is the wretched failure of our city schools. The buildings are run-down, those students who actually graduate high school are ill-equipped for the real world, and more than a few disgraceful teachers and principals, to make themselves look better and thus teaching all the wrong lessons, are going to jail for correcting test answers in that cheating scandal.

“And then there is the matter of city finances-or lack thereof. The budget shortfalls are across the board, pensions are unfunded to the tune of some five billion dollars, and both property and wage taxes have repeatedly risen and are now at record levels. We’re selling any assets we can to try to keep afloat. What happens next when all those are gone?” He paused, caught his breath, then said, “Jerry, this city is falling apart-literally-as it does not even have sufficient funds to demolish all the dangerous structures before they simply collapse on their own.”

Fuller saw that Carlucci had a weary look. And that he was nodding.

“Welcome to my world, Frank,” Carlucci said, not pleasantly.

“I understand that I am telling you nothing new. But that does not change the fact that these issues are grave. My companies, as you would expect, constantly study demographics. We have to know all about our customers, both current ones and potential ones. What we have found is disturbing, from the perspective of both the future of my companies and the future of this city. And that is: The majority of those in the current generation of eighteen- to thirty-five-year-olds, citing concern with issues I’ve just listed, say they won’t raise their families in Philadelphia. They are graduating college, sticking around a few years before or after getting married-then moving where taxes and crime are lower and schools are better. This has been going on for years, and it’s accelerating. We-you and me and everyone else in this city-need those families and the taxes they pay. Or-”

“Or we go broke,” Carlucci interrupted. “I get it.”

“I must say that I do believe in your style of leadership, Frank. An iron fist properly wielded is effective. But I have come to better appreciate that there are nuances to politics, to getting-and then most importantly, keeping-the support of corporations. Corporations that will create jobs that will keep those families here, and in so doing build a healthier city and generate more tax revenue that in turn will better provide for our citizens.”

“So, what are you saying specifically?”

“What I’m saying, Jerry, is that I believe with my help you can accomplish that, presuming (a) you do what I say and (b) we get you reelected.”

“‘Do what I say,’” Carlucci quickly parroted, trying not to lose his temper.

“For the good of the city,” Fuller said, his tone matter-of-fact and unapologetic. “It’s your choice. If you’re not open to (a), then I have a number of candidates who are.”

Carlucci met his eyes.

That’s damn sure not a veiled threat.

I should tell you to go straight to hell.

But. . that would not be productive. I don’t need you as an enemy.

Carlucci said: “There’s no guarantee these others can get elected.”

Fuller shrugged.

“I will grant you that. But I can guarantee that whoever I back will win the primary election, with great odds of winning it all.” He paused to let that sink in, then finished: “And I can guarantee that those who fail to win their second term as mayor, as history has proven, never find themselves going on to win higher office in Harrisburg or Washington.”